Andrew Yorke

Biography

Andrew Yorke competed in his first international triathlon in 2007, after missing the junior world team in 2006. It was that disappointment which made him willing to do whatever it took to get there the next year and he credits the work he did then with setting him up for the rest of his career. In 2008 Yorke suffered an epidural abscess in his spine and was told he would never compete at a professional level again. But since then, the only major event at which he did not compete were the 2012 Olympic Games, for which he was an alternate. After starting out on the Pan American Cup circuit, he made his ITU World Cup debut in 2010, the same year he joined the national development team. He made the jump to the senior national team in 2013. Yorke enjoyed a breakthrough performance at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he finished fourth in highly-competitive field. He came close to earning his first World Cup podium in 2015 when he finished fourth in New Plymouth in March. At the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Yorke was the top Canadian male triathlete with his seventh place finish. Among the other injuries he’s overcome are stress fractures in his tibia in 2009 and 2011, as well as a broken rib in 2013 and 2015. He made his Olympic debut at Rio 2016.

Getting to know…

Family: Parents Ward and Tracey Yorke… Younger sister Amy… Getting into the Sport: Did his first triathlon at age 12 when he and his father signed up together at a local club… Thought it looked like a cool sport after watching Simon Whitfield win gold at Sydney 2000 and Peter Reid win the Ironman in Hawaii… Was drawn to the suffering and mental battle… Outside Interests: Graduated with an Honours History degree from McMaster University in 2014… Supports Right to Play and Canadian Hero Fund… Grew up competing in Nordic skiing, track and field, mountain biking, soccer, basketball… Enjoys camping and fishing in the off-season… Enjoys playing baseball, football and guitar… Would like to become a police officer… Odds and Ends: Favourite quote: “You can always quit” – Grandfather Bert Yorke… Always gets a haircut and shaves legs and listens to the same two songs before a race… Before a race likes to find a leaf or piece of plant on the course and put it inside his race suit to draw strength from it… Nicknames: Yorkie, The Dog…